


Something Precious

by cup_of_comfort



Series: you, me, us [1]
Category: Tales of Xillia
Genre: Accidental Bonding, Alpha!Alvin, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Omega!Jude, Protective Leia, Underage Sex, a very sad and confused alvin, closely following the game events with some twists, jude being jude
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-24
Updated: 2020-01-24
Packaged: 2021-02-27 15:41:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,354
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22389613
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cup_of_comfort/pseuds/cup_of_comfort
Summary: Alvin accidentally bonds with Jude during the latter's heat. It's up to Alvin to sort out his feelings and come to a decision regarding their futures. —alvin/jude, canon divergence in a/b/o universe
Relationships: Alvin/Jude Mathis
Series: you, me, us [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1611571
Comments: 6
Kudos: 28





	Something Precious

**Author's Note:**

> this is a fic i wrote almost two years ago for a friend's birthday, who's a big fan of Alvin :D i dusted it for some minor corrections and decided to post it.
> 
> a confession: i didn't actually play tox, but i did watch the full gameplay. the order of the game events got mixed up a bit here since i got them sorted out in my head to match the timeline i built for this fic ( ╥ω╥ ) i hope you guys don't mind.
> 
> anyway, enjoy! comments always appreciated ( ´ ▽ ` ).｡ｏ♡

Jude’s heat first hit him when the group was in Xian Du, waiting for their fight in the coliseum to gain access to the wyverns.

Alvin noticed. Jude had been acting strange after their encounter with Ivar on the way to Xian Du, but nobody suspected anything until they had arrived in the city. Alvin didn’t want to probe too much, though—he was travelling with the group simply because he had his orders and he was getting paid to do so; nothing more, nothing less. Getting attached was not on his plan—and he never intended for it to be one—so he tried to not stick his nose in business he had no interest in getting involved with.

However, as soon as the group checked in to the inn, Jude’s condition escalated drastically to the point he could barely stand upright by himself. Alvin had caught him before he collapsed and was surprised at how hot he was.

“Jude!” Leia exclaimed, garnering the party’s attention. “You have your heat? Why didn’t you say something?!”

Jude’s response was only a small, pained groan. Alvin quickly answered in his place. “We should probably take him to the room before everyone in the lobby starts smelling him,” he said.

Leia quickly removed Jude from Alvin’s hold and held him up by herself. “You shouldn’t have given me your suppressant before if your heat schedule is closer than mine!” She hissed.

Alvin merely raised an eyebrow at it. That was so Jude-like—too selfless to the point he thought of others more than he thought for himself.

They started walking towards the two rooms they had rented earlier. With Jude’s heat, most probably he would end up in the girls’ room. Leia was an Omega; Elize was too young to have her secondary gender identified (although Alvin was sure she would end up being an Omega); and Milla was the Lord of Spirits—did the Lord of Spirits even have secondary gender?

Leia had been leading the way, Milla helping her shoulder Jude, while Elize and Teepo followed right behind them worrying about Jude. They were just about to enter the room when Leia shot a warning glare to Alvin.

“Whoa,” the Alpha raised both of his hands. “What was that glare for?”

“For you to not get near Jude until his heat subsides,” Leia said, and her tone sounded accusing, Alvin even felt mildly insulted by it. Hey, he  _ might _ be an Alpha on his peak age, and probably also a traitorous asshole, but he knew not to take advantage of an Omega in heat, especially not someone more than ten years younger than him.

Not Jude.  _ Especially _ not Jude.

“That’s rude. I have my preferences, and certainly it’s not Omega brats like you. Go take care of Jude,” he shooed Leia and turned away. “I’m going for a walk.”

He heard Leia scoff, but she didn’t offer another response as they entered the room, while Rowen reminded him not to take too much time outside. He just gave a soft, acknowledgment sound before stepping down the stairs and onto the city of Xian Du under the night sky.

Alvin’s first thought was to visit his mother, but then it was already too late for a visit. Not like his mother could even remember him anymore; sometimes Alvin thought that dying would be a better option for her, but she was the only family member he had now—and he didn’t want to lose her.

After walking around for some time, he decided to get back to the inn, yawning widely. As long as they didn’t win in the coliseum fight, Yurgen wouldn’t allow them to ride his wyverns, so might as well he got some rest he didn’t have the luxury for before.

The lobby was silent and devoid of people now, aside from the concierge. Alvin spotted Leia and Elize napping on the sofa in the lobby, though—probably Jude’s scent had become too overwhelming for them—while Milla was nowhere to be seen.

The stairs creaked slowly as he climbed up, going to the room he and Rowen were assigned before. However, his gaze fell on the door beside their room though—initially rented for the girls—but probably only had Jude inside now. Despite Leia’s warning, Alvin found himself standing in front of the door, curious.

...just a peek wouldn’t affect him that much, right?

His hand already on the knob, Alvin twisted it and pushed the door open. He was greeted with a blast of pheromones so strong, he even staggered back a few steps. It would be dangerous if other guests had taken notice of it, so Alvin quickly slipped inside the room and closed the door.

Jude was lying on the bed farthest from the door, back against Alvin. His overcoat and pants had been removed, and Alvin could hear his laboured breaths and small whimpers, fighting the throes of heat. He had heard that an Omega’s heat could be very taxing if they didn’t have an Alpha near them.

The older man gulped. He  _ was _ an Alpha. Could he have helped Jude?

Slowly, he approached the bed, trying to fight the temptation. He was going to help Jude by offering the Omega his  _ presence _ , hoping that it would ease his pain, even just a little bit. He remembered about his mother’s heat; that it rendered her pained and delirious, sometimes still babbling about his deceased father and himself,  _ sweet, sweet Alfred, come home, please, I missed you _ —

His thoughts were interrupted when Jude’s voice brought him back to reality. “...Al... vin...?”

So he was still conscious enough to recognise him. “...hey, Jude- _ kun _ ,” he said jokingly, but his voice caught in his throat and came out a little drier than usual. Alvin was suddenly very aware of Jude; his lithe figure, half-naked, the smell of Jude’s Omega scent that resembled the combination of fresh grass and sea salt that he hated—because the sea had robbed everything he had that day—and the strong pheromone he emitted... “You doing alright?”

Jude just gave him a small groan.

“...not so well, huh,” he sat down by the bed, careful not to touch the teen directly.

“...what are you doing here... Alvin?” the dark-haired teen rasped, turning slightly to look at him. His face was flushed red, his amber eyes half-lidded and clouded with lust. “Leia... told you to stay away...”

“I figured,” Alvin snorted. “But you look miserable, and I heard an Alpha’s presence can help to ease the pain, at least. You want me to stay?”

Jude stared at him for a while. “...you can’t help me like this. I’m—“ his breath hitched suddenly, and he quickly turned away from Alvin to bury his face to the pillow. “It’ll... It’ll go away. This is... nothing," He said, voice muffled by the pillow.

Alvin sighed. It seemed that Jude didn’t want his presence at all. Considering his betrayal in Sharilton, it was understandable. The fact that Jude allowed him back to the party was already a miracle. “Well... Alright then,” he stood up, intending to leave, but then a hand pulled on the hem of his coat, tugging desperately.

“No!” Jude gasped, his expression panicked, before he realised what he was doing. “I—a-ah...” he released Alvin’s coat, his eyes wide and looking pale like a deer caught in the headlights. “I’m sorry. P-Please leave—”

“Jude- _ kun _ ,” Alvin cut the teen off. “Do you want me to leave?”

There was a beat of silence before Jude answered, voice small and defeated. “...no,” he whispered. “Stay... please.”

So Alvin did. He sat back on the bed, watching as Jude laid down on the bed once more, refusing to look at him. The brunet himself was trying to resist the urge to touch him—Jude smelled so  _ good _ , it felt like something's whispering for Alvin to touch him,  _ kiss him mark him scent him make him yours— _

“...Alvin...” Jude had spoken again. “You’ll stay here... all night? With me?”

Alvin shrugged. “If you want me to.”

“You’re not...” the teen paused, as if hesitating. “...not going... to touch me?”

The older man tensed. “Don’t tease me like that, Jude-kun,” he let out a short, curt laugh. “Are you inviting me? Because to be honest, you smell so  _ good _ right now, I might be tempted to take you.”

The dark-haired teen seemed surprised at his words. “You—” he swallowed thickly. “You... mean it?”

Oh,  _ shit _ . “Come on, y-you know I was kidding about that. You’re only fifteen—”

“N-Not about that,” Jude rasped. “About... my smell. You s-said...  _ I _ smell good?”

Alvin blinked in confusion. “Yeah, you do,” he admitted. There’s no reason to lie about it, after all; every Omega in heat was bound to smell good to any unbound Alpha, wasn’t it?

“...how does it smell like?”

“Like... fresh grass and the smell of sea salt in the harbour. At least, to me it is,” he replied. “What’s with the question, honour’s student? Curious at how you smell like to other Alphas?”

“...nothing,” Jude murmured. He didn’t say anything else.

  
  


Jude had dozed off sometime after their little conversation, and for once, Alvin kept his promise to stay by his side. However, when it’s past midnight, his fever spiked and he started babbling; Alvin, who almost nodded off, quickly jolted awake to check on the teen.

“Jude- _ kun _ , oi!” He hissed, cupping Jude’s flushed cheeks. He was so  _ hot _ , it felt like his whole body was on fire. “Hang in there. Come on, get a grip on yourself!”

Jude sobbed. “A-Alvin,” his hand moved to touch his, and Alvin almost flinched away but managed not to. “Alvin.”

“I’m here,” he said, fear starting to grip on his chest. Should he call Leia? He had no knowledge on how to take care of a delirious Omega in heat. Of course, he  _ knew _ a way to relieve heat fever and end the Omega’s suffering—which only an Alpha could—but he wouldn’t do that to Jude. “Do you want me to call Leia?”

“No, no,” Jude shook his head frantically, trying to sit up. “Not Leia. Just you. I... I want you.”

Alvin’s brain seemed to freeze up, and he let go of Jude like he had been scalded. “Jude,” he said, his tone warning as his resolve started to crack. “I can’t. You’re just delirious, and sure, I’m a healthy, handsome Alpha—” he tried to crack a joke, but it sounded dry and hollow. “—we can’t do this.”

Jude looked like he was wilting. “Just... o-once,” he gasped out. “H-Help me. It hurts, I...” he pulled down the hem of his shirt, and only then Alvin noticed the wetness between his thighs. It was starting to leak out, dripping to the sheets, running down his thighs under the fabric—

Alvin growled low, and he pushed Jude down towards the bed by the shoulders. “Once,” he said, and Jude nodded frantically as his fingers tugged desperately on Alvin’s scarf to pull it off. The Alpha shed his coat, leaving it to fall to a heap on the floor, and climbed on the bed, hovering above the younger male. As the scarf fell off to join his coat, Alvin bent down to catch the Omega’s lips for a frantic kiss, only pulling away when Jude made a choking sound.

The lights in the room were dim, but they were enough to illuminate Jude’s feature right now. Like this, he looked even more vulnerable than usual; wet golden eyes staring at him, sweat matting his bangs to his forehead, breath laboured with cheeks pink and lips swollen. He had his white shirt opened halfway, showing the delicious collarbone and his milky pale chest, and Alvin tore the rest of the buttons away, earning a yelp of protest from Jude which he ignored. His mouth moved to the small chest, circling his tongue around a pink nub and earning a gasp from the Omega. Small hands flew to grab at Alvin’s hair, but the Alpha paid it no heed as his mouth continued its ministration.

His hand found Jude’s half-hard cock and gave it a few, quick strokes, and a groan escaped above him as Jude’s lithe body trembled in pleasure, fed by the stimulation and the hormones he produced.

“Alvin...” he rasped, when Alvin sat up to pull his gloves off with his teeth, throwing them across the room carelessly. He pushed Jude’s leg up while his left hand sauntered down to his twitching cock and past his balls, to his hole. Slick gushed down from it, drenching the sheets, and when rough fingertips touched the rim the boy tensed.

He lifted his head to look at Jude’s expression. His eyes were glazed in both fear and anticipation, biting down his lower lip. When he caught Alvin staring at him, he averted his gaze quickly and put an arm over his eyes. “Don’t—don’t look...” he breathed out.

Alvin took pity on him. He moved to Jude’s side and lifted his upper body, supporting the Omega’s shoulder with his right hand as he let Jude lean on him. “...here. Spread your legs open,” he instructed, and although hesitantly, Jude complied. His left hand crept back in between his legs, and when Jude started to tense again, Alvin squeezed his shoulder. “Relax,” he whispered, right by Jude’s ear, giving the lobe a gentle nibble.

The Omega shuddered when a finger was pushed into him, lips parting to let out a small moan as the digit slipped in smoothly with all the slick he produced. Slowly, Alvin fingered him, watching the younger male’s reaction as he searched for the bundle of nerves that would make Jude scream.

A second finger was soon inserted beside the first one, and Jude’s head lolled uselessly, hips stuttering with every thrust as his breaths grew quicker. His hand grasped at Alvin’s shirt while the other covered his lips, trying to muffle the embarrassing sounds he made.

Alvin seemed to have another idea. “Don’t cover your mouth,” he growled. “Let me hear you.”

Jude’s breath hitched when Alvin’s fingers pressed deeper, and he let out a high-pitched whine when the fingers touched his prostate. “Alvin,” he buried his face to the crook of the Alpha’s neck, inhaling sharply. “Good... F-Feels good...”

When his fingers retreated with a wet sound, Jude moaned, disappointed, but Alvin paid him no heed as he lowered the smaller male back to the bed and lifted both of his legs, knees resting on each side of Alvin’s shoulder. With one hand the older man unbuckled his pants and pulled out his cock, giving it a couple of strokes before lining up to Jude’s entrance.

He’d make this quick. It’s just to help Jude. He didn’t want any unwanted attachment to this innocent boy he was going to defile anyway.

“Relax,” he breathed out, as the tip of his cock pushed into Jude, breaching the muscles. Jude visibly tensed, but Alvin had his hand on his cock and gave the shaft light strokes as he kept pushing until he was fully seated inside Jude.

Jude’s small figure was shaking, his hands fisting on the sheets. Fuck, the kid’s so  _ tight _ , so  _ hot _ , and Alvin wondered whether he was the first for Jude. Probably he  _ was _ .

Alvin ignored the surge of warmth and fondness that spread on his chest as the thought surfaced.

He kept watching Jude’s expression until the creases of his brows lightened, before giving a shallow, experimental thrust. Jude’s lips parted and a groan escaped, but it didn’t sound pained, so Alvin continued his movement, drawing out almost completely before slamming back in, this time earning a yelp from the Omega.

Gradually his thrusts picked up the pace until Alvin was pounding into Jude, almost bending him in half as he leaned down to kiss him. Jude, in return, circled his arms around Alvin’s neck, his cries and whimpers filling the cramped inn room. Blunt fingernails scratched at his clothed back, and Alvin growled as his grip on Jude’s thighs tightened, enough to form bruises that would probably stay for a few days.

“A-Alvin!” Jude cried out, arching his back as his cock drove deeper into him. Alvin could sense his orgasm coming—his rational mind screamed at him to stop and pull out, but he kept going, breathing heavily as he pressed his nose to the crook of Jude’s neck, inhaling his scent deeply. Everything seemed to blend to one; Jude’s Omega scent, tinted with heavy lust, now mixing with his own scent—the sweet aroma of spiced pie, lingering under a layer of tobacco. Alvin smoked sometimes, but he didn’t realise that it had made its way to his scent.

“ _ Jude _ ,” he groaned out, lips splayed out to kiss the younger Omega’s collarbone, creeping up to the side of his neck and silently mouthing at the tender skin of his nape. This sacred patch of skin—if he bit down on it, then Jude would be his,  _ his, _ forever, for the rest of his life. He’d treasure this Omega; seemed small and fragile from the outside, but was so strong and determined inside. Alvin liked him, liked Jude so much—

He sank his teeth down without thinking, and Jude tensed around him, letting out a sharp yell as he came between them, white ribbons of cum staining his stomach and Alvin’s shirt. His whole body shook, toes curling and fingers clawed frantically at the Alpha's back; even beneath the fabric Alvin was sure Jude was going to leave marks. His hips stuttered and he cursed under his breath as he came inside Jude, knot forming at the base of his cock, locking them together. Jude’s pretty golden eyes widened, a pained whimper escaped his lips.

“H-Hurts,” he sobbed. “No... Make it stop...”

“Sssh,” Alvin stroked his back and head reassuringly, adjusting their position so Jude was lying on his side with one leg hoisted over his own, his figure pressed against Alvin. “It’s alright, just relax. It’ll be over soon,” he whispered. Jude just let out a small sound and pressed his face against Alvin’s chest, nodding lightly.

“You’ll—“ Jude rasped. “You’ll be here... When I’m awake, right?”

“...yeah,” Alvin said. “Yeah, I will.”

  
  


It wasn’t him who woke up first, though. A few hours later Jude had woken him up instead by pushing him down to the bed and climbed on him, looking small compared to Alvin’s figure. He rubbed his ass on Alvin’s cock, and even being half-asleep, Alvin could feel his cock twitch at the gesture.

“God, Jude- _ kun _ , it’s so early,” he murmured. “Can it wait until the sun has at least risen?”

“No,” Jude replied, breathing hard and fast as he spread himself open with one hand and guided Alvin’s cock into his hole with another, sighing contently when he’s fully seated inside. “I need you, Alvin, need you—“

His sentence was cut off as he started bouncing on Alvin’s lap, bracing himself against the Alpha’s chest. His usually neatly combed hair was now sticking in odd directions, face completely red as he closed his eyes and scrunched his brows in concentration—and somehow that made Alvin’s chest grow warm again. He put a hand on the boy’s hip to help balancing him, and Jude picked up his pace, strong legs pivoting against the soft material of the bed to fuck himself onto Alvin’s cock, movement fast and erratic and desperate.

It didn’t take long for him to come, semen spurting weakly from his neglected cock and smearing on the Alpha’s stomach. Alvin was suddenly glad he decided to take his clothes off after his knot had subsided, or else they would’ve been ruined by now.

Jude slumped against him, drained, seemed not to care about the stickiness between them. But Alvin didn’t get to come yet—and he still had his cock in Jude—so he lifted Jude’s hips with both of his hands and slammed it down back to his cock.

“Ah!” Jude whimpered, face pressed against Alvin’s shoulder as he helplessly let the older man pound into him. Alvin jerked when he felt a sharp pain from his right shoulder, but then he realised that Jude had bitten him so hard, they were bleeding. He came with a guttural groan, spilling his load into Jude’s warm hole once more as his knot plugged the hole to prevent leakage. This time, Jude just gave a quiet moan and shuddered, murmuring something Alvin couldn’t quite catch on, but as they pressed flush against each other, the Alpha couldn’t help but think at how close Jude’s scent had reminded him of  _ home _ . The home he didn’t even remember anymore.

  
  


He remembered at some point Leia had entered the room to deliver food, almost dropping the tray at the door when she saw Jude on Alvin’s lap. The Alpha quickly pulled on the thin blanket provided on each bed and covered the Omega’s exposed body with it, growling, his mind registering any outsider presence as a threat.

Leia’s shock didn’t last long, though. Her expression hardened, and her grip on the tray tightened. She stomped towards the bed—Alvin’s own chocolate eyes following her movements closely—and put the tray on the bedside table. “Don’t forget to eat and drink; take care of Jude’s as well. Here’s his medicine; make sure he takes it after the meal. Understand?”

Alvin didn’t answer, instead staring back at her, as if challenging the female Omega. However, Leia stood there with her hands folded to her chest, and he suspected she wouldn’t leave without first getting an answer. He gritted his teeth and spat out. “Yeah.”

She seemed satisfied by that. “Good.” Leia nodded, and turned back to walk to the door. She threw a last glance over her shoulder to Alvin, and the Alpha didn’t stop staring at her until the door slammed close. Only then did Alvin return his gaze back to the Omega on his lap.

Now that the room was brighter thanks to the sun, he could see Jude’s face more clearly now. He was a mess; there were tear tracks left on his cheeks, and his lips were swollen and red from being kissed so fervently. Hickeys and bruises littered on his jaw and neck, and there were several teeth marks on his shoulders and chest and around his nipples where Alvin had bitten him before. His belly and thighs were sticky with cum, peppered with red kiss marks here and there.

“Alvin...?” Jude whispered shakily as he lifted his head up. His eyes were filled with lust and his tone was needy, but his voice cracked from screaming too much last night. Alvin reached to the bedside table for the glass of water Leia had left them and pressed the rim to Jude’s lips, and when the teen jerked his head away Alvin bent down to whisper at his ear at how he’s going to fuck him again if he’s  _ good _ . Reluctantly Jude obeyed, apparently not realising how thirsty he was because half of the glass content disappeared in the blink of an eye.

“Good boy,” he whispered and gave Jude a peck on his temple, finishing the water himself before putting the glass back to the tray. Jude had his hips rutting against Alvin’s already, so the older man complied, slipping into his stretched hole with a lewd, squelching sound and the Omega’s loud moan.

They lasted two more days just like that, spending each waking time fucking and then eating, before Alvin spooned Jude into his embrace and let himself rest and his knot subside before the next wave of Jude’s heat hit him. Leia came in to check on them every few hours, replenishing their water and food stock, bringing them clean water and rags to wash themselves. Sometimes, it was Milla who brought them stuffs, and Alvin eyed her warily each time as his arms tightened around Jude protectively until she disappeared behind the door once more.

By the third day, Jude’s fever had ebbed completely, and Alvin watched from his side as the teen dozed with a peaceful expression, no longer driven in heat, his Omega scents not as strong and enticing as before. He unconsciously let his fingers play with Jude’s dark locks, before his eyes caught the bite mark he had left on the younger’s neck and he froze.

That bite mark that didn’t disappear. He had accidentally bit on Jude’s neck. He had accidentally  _ bonded _ Jude with him.

Alvin pulled away his hand and sat up. Jude’s pheromone had clouded his mind for the past two days, and now that his head had been clearer, he realised that he had made a big mistake. A  _ very _ big mistake.

He was supposed to help Jude. Not getting carried off like this. Not bonding and mating with Jude.

Trembling, he gingerly climbed out of the bed and picked up his clothes that Leia had kindly washed and put away for him, and got dressed. His hands were shaking so badly he missed a few times when he buttoned his shirt, but Alvin managed it and shuffled away.

From the bed, Jude made a sound and Alvin tensed, before realising that he was still fast asleep. He half-ran from the room before his mind urged him to go back to Jude’s side and cradled the Omega close, and Alvin slipped out of the inn to calm his mind from the turmoil of feelings swirling inside.

  
  


He didn’t even realise when Leia came behind him. “What are you doing here?” She asked.

Alvin couldn’t guess what she wanted him to answer from her tone. He didn’t dare turn around to face Leia as well, too afraid to see her. “Nothing,” he answered nonchalantly, staring down into the water as he fiddled with his fingers. “What are  _ you _ doing here?”

“Checking on why you leave Jude’s side,” she said, stopping beside him and leaned against the railing. “Is his heat over yet?”

“Yeah,” Alvin said dryly. “He doesn’t need me anymore, so I slipped out to get some fresh air. Being cooped inside the room for three days sure is boring.”

“You didn’t seem to be bored making love to Jude every time I saw you, though,” Leia replied, and Alvin almost choked on his own spit. “...what? You don’t realise it?”

“Realising what?” His words came out far harsher than he intended. “That I just accidentally ruined his life?”

“That you are getting attached to him.”

Alvin sneaked a glance at the Omega. She didn’t look mad, but she wasn’t happy either. “Me?  _ Attached _ ?” He snorted. “Don’t act like you know me well, Leia.”

She flinched at that jab, but her gaze unwavered. “Maybe I don’t know you, but I know Jude.” She turned towards Alvin. “The feeling is mutual, at least from what I’ve seen since I joined you guys. Why are you trying so hard to deny it?”

“I was just influenced by his pheromones,” Alvin tried. “And I got carried away. The bite—it wasn’t intentional. It was an accident.”

Leia almost raised an eyebrow. “You’re an  _ adult _ , Alvin. Unless you are a sixteen-year-old Alpha that just smelled an Omega in heat for the first time, I’m pretty sure ‘accident’ isn’t a legit excuse for what you’ve done to him.”

“I’m sorry,” Alvin murmured.

“Why are you saying sorry to me? You  _ bit _ Jude. If you want to apologise, he’s the one you should say sorry to.”

Alvin fell silent at that. Leia was right. He had to face Jude on some point and apologise to him.

“Anyway...” she spoke again. “I might have warned you before, but honestly, it’s merely a habit for me to become protective of Jude. Actually I wasn’t expecting him to bond with you—or any Alpha, even—at all.”

Alvin finally lifted his head to look at Leia, blinked confusedly. “What do you mean?”

“When Jude presented as an Omega when he was twelve...” Leia stared down at her shoes, kicking the cobblestone lightly. “...people started saying bad things about his scent. From what I heard, apparently Jude smells horrible to other Alphas. I don’t know the details because I ended up being an Omega as well, so I can’t exactly know what’s so terrible with it...” she laughed nervously. “But seeing that you endured his scent enough to be able to mate with him, I guess that it means that you’re the one for him!”

Alvin didn’t have time to stop her when she punched his shoulder playfully and told him to return back to the inn quickly before running away herself, dumbfounded, as he tried to process the information Leia just told him.

To him, Rieze Maxia was beautiful, but it wasn’t home—he always felt alien within it, surrounded by surges of mana he couldn’t probe with his lack of mana lobe. The smell of people here were different as well—he wasn’t exactly interested in Omegas here because they always smelled unappealing to him. Probably because he was an Elympion. But Jude—

He paused, before laughing wryly to himself. “Right,” he muttered. “Derrick Mathis...”

Jude was half-Elympion; he almost forgot that. Apparently that actually made his stupid Alpha instinct react to Jude more strongly, most probably because he was the closest Elympion Omega he had been in contact with aside of the members of Exodus.

Very funny. He accidentally bit an underaged Omega because his mind yearned for it.

Alvin sighed, running a hand through his hair and huffed, before turning back to return to the inn. He had made up his mind about Jude.

  
  


Jude was already up when he opened the door to the room. He jolted when he heard the door creak open, but then his figure relaxed when he saw that it was just him.

“Alvin,” he gave him a smile, almost like he was relieved, and Alvin instantly felt guilty. How could he still smile and greet him like nothing had happened? “You’re back. Leia said you were taking a walk, so I thought you’ll return later.”

“Jude- _ kun _ ,” he replied. “Your heat?”

“Ah...” The blush returned with full force on Jude’s cheeks, and he nursed the glass he was holding before. “It’s... gone completely. Thanks to you, Alvin.” He unconsciously touched the bite mark Alvin left at him.

“Stop touching that,” he growled without thinking, and Jude twitched in surprise. “I didn’t do anything for you. That mark means nothing to me, Jude- _ kun _ .”

Jude was silent for a while. “Nothing?” He asked. “Nothing at all?”

“Nothing,” he stressed, and Alvin had to suppress the pang of pain in his chest when he saw Jude’s hurt expression. “It’s... just to help you, Jude- _ kun _ . Surely you don’t mean that you won’t mind being paired to a traitor like me?” He gave Jude a small, lopsided grin.

Jude lowered his head. He seemed to be thinking. “I probably won’t,” he finally said. “But you certainly didn’t think so as well, so I guess it’s best for us to... not mention about this again.” He inhaled, deep, and then exhaled, facing Alvin and staring at him with an unreadable expression and amber eyes that seemed to pierce deep into his mind. “Right?”

“Glad we are finally on the same page here for once, kid,” Alvin chuckled, although it sounded forced. “This way we won’t get into trouble. As long as we don’t... bond again, the mark on your neck should disappear in a couple of months. You should be able to bond with someone more appropriate of your own choosing, alright?”

“It’s... not like I can, but thanks for the consideration,” Jude replied emptily. He stood up and brushed at his shirt, before taking his overcoat and headed out without addressing Alvin further. The Alpha noted that he was slightly limping, wincing at every step—but Jude disappeared before Alvin could change his mind.

_ This is the best for us _ , he told himself. He was destined to betray everyone from the beginning; he wasn’t supposed to get attached. His affection for Jude was nothing more of the aftermath of the heat because they spent it together; the pain in his chest would surely be gone after a few days.

Teepo gave him quite a shock, though. As soon as he went downstairs, the flying, talking stuffed doll latched onto his face as he screamed insults at Alvin for hurting Jude, practically smothering his face until he’s out of breath. Alvin picked the doll off his face and almost tossed him out of the way, where he just cried and went back to Elize’s side.

“Alvin...” the little girl said, voice quiet like a scared little mouse facing a predator, but she steeled her resolve. “Does Jude... now belong to you? Leia says so... Something like that.”

Alvin felt like he needed to talk to Leia about it as well, but probably Jude had gone to inform her about what had happened between them earlier. “If you’re scared that I will take Jude- _ kun _ away, I won’t, Elize.” He patted her head gently. “So don’t look so sad. Jude isn’t going anywhere.”

The relieved look on Elize’s face suddenly made a lump on his throat. Everybody in the party loved Jude—sweet, gentle Jude that always thought about others’ well-being before his. How could he be so selfish and think about taking Jude for himself? He could, but he wouldn’t. Jude deserved a much better Alpha than him.

And then there was Rowen, who didn’t comment much but instead opted to observe from afar. Alvin felt like he was being scrutinised silently, but he was sure that Rowen wasn’t about to vocally criticise what choices Jude and himself had made.

He saw Jude sitting in the communal dining room, hunched slightly in the corner with a plate of mabo curry in front of him, only eaten slightly. Leia and Milla were with him, watching him worriedly.

Milla was the first to notice him. She finished her curry and stood up, startling Leia, then she quickly sauntered to Alvin and pulled his wrist. Despite her slim figure, she was stronger than Alvin thought, and he almost stumbled as Milla led him back to their seats.

“Sit,” she commanded, gesturing at the chair beside Jude. Alvin was tempted to rebel, but she tugged at his wrist again, and he winced when her grip tightened.

“Alright, fine,” he plopped to the chair and frowned, folding his hands on his chest. “What was that for?”

“For Jude to be able to eat. Now sit tight until he finishes eating," Milla said, and ordered one more omelette and a mabo curry for Alvin.

The Alpha turned to stare at Jude. He didn’t notice it before, but Jude was paler than he had seen him before. His eyes were sunken and lost its pretty golden glow. With Alvin beside him, the colour started to return back to the younger Omega’s cheeks, and he started eating his curry.

_ Great _ . Apparently Alvin forgot that bond withdrawals were a thing for newly-bonded Omegas. Now Jude couldn’t function properly without him at his side for probably a few days.

“Thank you, Milla,” Jude smiled at the blonde, and Alvin had to stop the surge of jealousy invading him. No,  _ no _ . Jude wasn’t  _ his _ . “But I’ll be fine in a couple of hours. It’s just... a temporary attachment for new bonded couples.” 

Milla blinked. “I thought it can last for a few days?”

“Sometimes, but not always. The first few hours are always terrible, I heard,” Jude chuckled. “But I’ll be fine, really. Thank you for worrying about me. You too, Leia.”

“Jude...”

“I’m done,” Jude stood up and pushed his chair, wiping his mouth with the disposable napkin. “Go ahead and enjoy your meal. I, ah... I’m going to go back to the room.”

He left without even looking back, his half-eaten, gradually cooling mabo curry sat on the table. Leia and Milla stared at him until Jude disappeared, before Leia stood up as well and brought Jude’s mabo curry with her.

“I’m going to get him to eat the rest!”

She left Alvin only with Milla, who looked far more interested in eating her omelette. “Hey,” Alvin called. “Aren’t you going to preach me about Jude- _ kun _ ?”

“Do you want me to?”

Alvin fell silent.

“Of course you don’t,” Milla answered for himself. “You probably know what’s wrong, and you just want to be yelled at for it. But Jude’s too kind—he won’t. So you hurt him intentionally and wait for us to point them out.”

Alvin snarled. “You don’t know anything,  _ Maxwell _ ,” his voice was low and menacing, threatening.

Milla didn’t seem to be influenced at all. “I don’t. I’m the Lord of Spirits, so anything about humans and their dynamics confuse me.” She stood up. “But you do. Do yourself a favour, Alvin, and be honest for once, at least on yourself.”

Alvin was left alone, dumbfounded, with too many questions unanswered.

  
  


Jude and the others won the coliseum fight. Exodus came to snatch Teepo and Elize, and Alvin gave them chase—until they ripped something off from the stuffed doll and threw it back to Elize, who was crying as she cradled the now unresponsive doll. He gave a few of the men quite some beating, but powerful as Alvin might be, he was just one man against many—and he still had Elize to protect.

The party showed up moments after the Exodus agents were gone, Alvin slumped to the side with a few bruises marring his face.

“Stay still,” Jude said, biting his lower lip, his tone worried. He raised his hand to cast a healing spell at Alvin’s split lip, and he winced when the skin knitted and healed. “Are you hurt anywhere else? We can get you an apple gel here—you should have a panacea—”

“Jude. I’m  _ fine _ ,” Alvin stopped him, before he babbled away their entire cures supply. “Thanks for healing me. Are you guys alright?”

He had to suppress the urge to pull Jude down and kiss him when he saw the relieved look on the boy’s face. They all seemed to be fine—but not Elize. She was crying, shaking Teepo for his usual, jabbing response, but received nothing more than repeated, systematic reply.

Then they learnt the truth about Teepo’s origins. The group faltered, but they had to hold together for their next fight to be able to earn the permission to use the wyverns. Rowen talked to the girl, and she apologised to Leia for what she had said. And like always, Leia just smiled and forgave her.

  
  


They won the coliseum for real. Yurgen was so excited, he held a feast for them. But then the poisoning happened and Alvin rushed out—his mother was treated by Isla, and she was being coerced by Exodus—they didn’t dare. His uncle  _ wouldn’t _ dare... right?

He was wrong. The only reason he had done so many sins, until now, to be able to keep her being treated and perhaps someday would bring her home... gone. Alvin couldn’t even shed a tear when he saw his mother, obviously dead. She looked so peaceful... Perhaps trying to keep her in this world was too cruel. She deserved the rest.

Alvin felt upset and miserable—but he realised, perhaps it wasn’t fully because of his mother’s death. It was probably more from the mixture of fear and relief—that the group was too focused on each other when the soup was served and didn’t take a single spoonful of them. That  _ Jude _ didn’t die. He’s still alive and kicking in the inn, probably wondering why he’s still not back yet.

He laughed bitterly and covered his eyes with an arm. What a mess.

  
  


It wasn’t the first time he had sold the group out, but this time, the look of hurt and disbelief in Jude’s face stabbed him more painfully than it had been before.

As he looked at the party trying to flee the castle, Presa stood beside him, bespectacled eyes watching intensely. “Feeling regret that you turned on them?” She asked. “It’s harder when you get bonded, isn’t it?”

Alvin couldn’t even hide his surprise. “Why are you—”

Presa pressed a finger on his lips to shush him down. “Are you not realising it yourself or you’re simply stupid? That little boy practically had your scent all over him. I have to say, you have a very possessive way to claim an Omega. A childish one, too.” She let him go with a chuckle. “Too bad such an innocent kid has to bond with an asshole Alpha like you.”

She turned back with a swish of hips and walked away, the click of her heels muffled against the carpet. Probably to help Wingul and the rest of the Chimeriad to intercept Jude and the others from escaping Kanbalar.

_ Jude _ . There was another stab of pain as he recalled Jude’s expression, his voice calling for Alvin’s name weakly when they realised Alvin had betrayed them for the second time. And Alvin had betrayed them for the  _ money _ . He didn’t even need it now—his mother was dead, anyway—so why did he do it? Why did he hurt the only person that, so far, had accepted him, forgave him...  _ loved _ him even though it was probably only the illusion created by the haze of his heat?

Alvin gritted his teeth and ran outside the castle. It wasn’t too late to help Jude and feed the guards false lead. They would possibly return back to Xian Du—Alvin could follow them after and asked for forgiveness in the process. Maybe Jude would forgive him and let him back to join the group again.

And he did. Alvin slung an arm on his shoulders, as usual, but the cold reaction the Omega gave him stung. Just a bit, Alvin swore. It would disappear soon enough. Soon... enough...

  
  


The ice cave was terribly cold, and although he wasn’t happy getting stuck with Elize (or, more precisely, her annoying, preaching, talking doll), his heart beat far too fast to find Jude wandering aimlessly. He put a hand on his mouth and pulled him back, and immediately a rush of relief washed upon him when he decided that Jude was alright—perhaps, just a little bit too cold to his liking. Beside him, though—a spirit hovered, with her gentle, angelic smile, and Jude introduced her as Musee, Milla’s sister. Alvin couldn’t care less about her, really; all he cared for was that Jude was safe.

Elize’s teeth were chattering as they tread the cave, and Alvin proposed for them to stop and rest for a while after Jude sneezed for the third time—which was reluctantly approved. They huddled together, Jude in the middle, with Musee providing a small fire arte to warm them up before wandering off somewhere else. The little girl was already fast asleep as soon as she had her head on the Omega’s shoulder; she must have been so exhausted.

“...Jude- _ kun _ ,” Alvin whispered. “You alright there?”

“...’m fine,” Jude mumbled, but certainly he wasn’t fine, with his whole body shivering and his teeth clacking hard. Jude did mention that he fell into the river...

“You don’t sound ‘fine’ at all,” Alvin supplied helpfully. “Besides, it won’t hurt to stay closer to me, y’know. Body heat and all.”

Jude glanced at him. “...you’re the one who told me that you don’t want to bond with me, so I’m avoiding touching you as much as my mind allows me to.” He said, his voice strained.

Alvin bit his lip. True, he was the one who said that the bond was unwanted. But... “I’m not going to let you die of hypothermia there, kid. C’mon, just a touch won’t hurt us both, right?”

Jude looked conflicted. He looked at Elize, snuggling against him, but eventually he gave up. The Omega shuffled closer to Alvin, and the Alpha spread his coat to wrap it over Jude’s shoulder and pulled him close.

He pulled off his scarf and wrapped it around Elize's neck and shoulders. The girl gave an annoyed sound, but didn’t wake up.

“Much warmer, isn’t it?” Alvin grinned, secretly basking in Jude’s smell. His scent was as good as he remembered during his heat, and gods, did he miss this. Just being so close, so  _ intimate _ with Jude, without the others.

“...yeah,” Jude muttered, but he snuggled closer to Alvin, half of his face pressing to his arm. “It’s nice.”

Perhaps, by instinct, Jude started inhaling his scent, hands unconsciously tangling with Alvin’s. He knew he should probably stop Jude— _ no, we can’t do that, Elize is here and Musee can come back anytime and we’re not supposed to bond any further _ —but he already had his nose pressed at the crown of the Omega’s head, lips pressing small kisses against his face as he tugged Jude to sit on his lap.

“W-Wait, we can’t—E-Elize’s going to fall,” Jude whispered.

Alvin groaned. He reached up to cradle Elize, slowly removing her from Jude’s side and lay her down to the cave’s floor, closer to the fire so she wouldn’t catch cold—and then without warning, dragged the Omega on his lap already.

“Solved,” he said.

Jude gave him a chuckle. “And what’s with the no-bonding thing before?”

“Hey, it’s you who said that,” Alvin replied jokingly, but he understood how much it’d hurt to be denied of a bond. Jude wasn’t the only one who suffered from it. “...I’m sorry about saying that the mark means nothing. I didn’t mean it.”

Jude’s golden eyes warmed. “Does that mean that you still want to go through the bonding with me?” He raised a hand to stroke at Alvin’s cheek.

The Alpha tensed. “No...  _ No _ . I can’t, honour’s student. You—” he breathed out. “—you deserve better.”

“What will be ‘better’ for me, then?”

“...probably someone closer to your age and not an old man like me.”

Jude barked out a laugh. “What are you,  _ sixty _ ? Unless you’re as old as Rowen, I think it’s passable enough for me.” He leaned down and gave Alvin a peck on his lips.

Whatever the Alpha wanted to say died down when he felt Jude slowly grinding his crotch against his, and  _ damn _ was he eager. The Omega—his,  _ his _ Omega, his mind supplied helpfully—must have been so touch-starved ever since they bonded, having received little to none intimate touch from his Alpha. Alvin pressed little kisses to his jaw and neck, pulling aside the tall collar to lick on the bite mark he left back then, still pristine. Jude’s body shuddered, and he was certain that it wasn’t from the cold.

“Alvin,” Jude breathed out, and Alvin was more than ready when eager hands unbuckled his pants and pulled his cock out. “Alvin, Alvin,  _ Alvin _ —”

With a low growl, the Alpha had Jude’s pants lowered, probing his hole with a hand only to find out that he’s already wet. “Someone’s eager, apparently.”

The dark-haired boy smiled. “Only for  _ my _ Alpha,” he smirked. He pushed Alvin backwards slightly and positioned himself, throwing his head back as Alvin’s cock slid inside him.

“Fucking hell, Jude, what are you doing—pull out! I’m  _ not _ letting you get hurt because you’re so impatient to fuck!” Alvin hissed.

“Ah—d-did you forget already that we’re  _ bonded _ ?” Jude let out a shuddering breath. “My body... will adjust as it recognises you as my bonded. Handy, right?”

“Goddammit...” Alvin winced. Jude felt so hot inside, it’s driving him insane. “I won’t carry you, nor I will explain to Elize what happens if you walk with a limp after this.”

“Good thing that it w-won’t hap—” His breath hitched and he let out an involuntary moan when he bottomed up; which was thankfully muffled as Alvin pulled him close and kissed him silent. The remains of his moans and the sounds of their wet kissing echoed through the cave walls, though—it’s a miracle Musee didn’t come to check on them.

“See? Damn, you’re stubborn as fuck sometimes,” Alvin grumbled. “Let me help you pull out and I’ll finger you instead—”

“No,” Jude hissed. “I want this, and—and I’ll tie you up if I have to, but I want  _ this _ . Just—” the Omega breathed out. “—let me adjust...”

Alvin stayed silent then, watching Jude’s expression like a hawk as the teen breathed heavily above him, thighs trembling against Alvin’s. Fuck, why was he so  _ beautiful _ ? Why, of all people, it had to be Jude? His hand moved to cradle Jude’s cheek and his Omega nuzzled against it, kissing the leather of his glove with a smile and affection glazing those burning amber eyes.

“I love you,” he whispered.

The Alpha’s breath hitched. His eyes frantically searched for any hints of joking in Jude’s face, and when he found none, he lowered his head and inhaled with a shudder. “I—” he wet his suddenly dry lips. “—Jude- _ kun _ , I...”

“...can’t?” He felt Jude’s fingers running on his hair. “It’s alright, Alvin. I’ll wait,” he kissed the top of Alvin’s forehead. “Until you’re ready.”

Alvin’s eyes suddenly felt hot. He buried his face on Jude’s shoulder and flipped their position, with Jude now lying on the ground with his legs up. Without pausing, he snapped his hips forward, and Jude cried out. Alvin bent down again to kiss him as he drove deeper inside, each thrust sending tremors to their bond, linking them closer.

“Jude...” he almost choked out his name, holding the small body against him close. “Jude,  _ Jude _ —”

“A-Al—“ Jude keened, and then he was coming hard, hips jerking against Alvin’s and hands twisting on his shirt. Alvin groaned when he pulled out and jerked himself, spilling his loads on Jude’s stomach.

“...why did you pull out?” Jude asked breathily, almost pouting, as they came down from the afterglow.

“Wouldn’t want to make a mess inside you, honour’s student. ‘Sides, you don’t have your medicine right now. Don’t want any risk.”

“...pregnancy can only occur when I’m in heat,” Jude winced as Alvin lowered his legs back, and in return, Alvin gave him a long, hard look.

“Don’t give me that ‘no heat, no pregnancy’ crap, you know it’s bullshit. Besides, aren’t  _ you _ supposed to be the doctor here?”

Jude laughed. “I’m kidding. But... seriously, I’d rather you come into me rather than making all this mess on my stomach.” He gestured at the drops that managed to stain his overcoat, and Alvin groaned silently.

“Let’s get to the river and wash it out.”

  
  


They reunited with Milla, Leia, and Rowen in front of the gate of Kanbalar, and Alvin silently congratulated himself for suppressing the urge to pull Jude to his side. They met again with Gaius, offering their aid to slay one mutual enemy for now; the Exodus, and the King had agreed.

E.S.S. Zenethra was as familiar as he had remembered 20 years ago; he had thought that it was totally abandoned, instead his uncle made it as a hiding place for the Lance of Kresnik. It’s an irony, really; the place that started all this mess would be the place where it ended, as well.

They defeated his uncle, though. Probably inside his heart, there was always this... feeling. He hated Gilland, but at the same time, he was the only family left after his mother died. Seeing his lifeless body on the glass floor of the main deck... He didn’t know whether to feel happy or sad.

And that’s when the situation went downwards sharply. The Lance activated—and the mana it absorbed to power up put tremendous pressure on them. Milla—always,  _ always _ Milla—was the only one strong enough to even crawl to the device and deactivate it. But with the deactivation code overridden—she could only do one thing to stop it, and that was to unleash its power, destroying Zenethra and sacrificing herself.

Jude’s voice desperately calling for her name felt so haunting for Alvin.

  
  


Exodus was no more. The group disbanded.

Elize and Rowen went back to Driselle in Sharilton, while Leia took care of Jude in the now deserted village Hamil. Alvin found him alone in the shack Elize used to live in, hunched in the corner with his usually brilliant amber eyes dimming, devoid of life.

Alvin trained his gun at Jude's head. He just wanted to go  _ home _ . Musee promised him that if he killed Jude— _ killed his mate _ —then she would get him back to Elympios. The world he belonged to, outside the schism. Home. He’d be free as well, from the last bond that tied him with Rieze Maxia.

His hand shook, however. His mind resisted, not wanting to hurt Jude. At the same time, it enraged him at how broken Jude was, mourning for Milla.

“Do what you want,” Jude said, sounded small and broken. He looked nothing like the Omega that said that he loved Alvin, and would wait for him.

Just as Alvin steadied his gun to pull the trigger, someone tackled him to the side, his gun flying away. Alvin got up to see Leia, who tried to drag Jude away from him as far as possible in panic.

“Come on, Jude!” Alvin heard her encouraging him. “Just a little bit! Come on!”

Alvin stood up, retrieved his gun, and gave them a chase up to the trees. Leia didn’t surrender easily, though—she dodged all his bullets and used her staff to deliver blows back to him, as she protected Jude. He had no choice but to shoot the planks to get them back to the ground—Alvin had difficulties manoeuvring in tight spaces, and if he wanted to get through Leia he had to defeat her at the ground.

He still heard her speech, though. About how Milla saved them all, that their lifes were precious and how they had to keep moving on, even if Milla wouldn’t come back. He snorted, intended to shoot on Jude’s head, now in plain sight—

—his hands jerked sideways and he accidentally pulled the trigger. A  _ bang _ was heard, and then he stared in horror as the bullet hit Leia instead, near her shoulder blades. She slid down off Jude, and the Omega stared at her in shock before his eyes trailed to Alvin, who was still holding his gun.

“I—” he choked out. “I didn’t mean to—”

Jude roared in anger as he stood up and charged towards Alvin, fist raised up. Alvin did the same as well—he had so much anger pent up that he needed to beat the crap out of someone to unleash them.

It wasn’t a very fair fight, though—Jude had all his movement predicted, as a result of their constant orb linking and the bond, and curse that goddamn annoying Snap Pivot of his and his inhuman speed—and without Alvin realised, a fist rammed to his face, knocking him to the ground. Jude didn’t stop there; he got on top of Alvin and kept punching him, although they gradually became weaker and weaker until it stopped altogether, with Jude sobbing above him. 

“Why—” he gasped. “Why do you...”

“Just...” Alvin averted his gaze. His face  _ hurt _ ; damn Jude really hit hard when he intended to hurt. “Just kill me already.”

Then Jude was screaming on his face, grabbing his by collar and shaking him. Saying those damn things Leia had said to him, but everything means nothing to him. Not when his whole world had crumbled, and he had nothing left to hold on.

“Come back with us,” Jude whispered, bumping his forehead to Alvin’s. “...to me.”

“I...” Alvin’s voice broke. “I can’t.”

He went away from Hamil, limping and wincing at the bruises Jude had given him, not even once looking back. The scent of Jude’s disappointment stuck on him.

  
  


He contemplated about dying once. In the end, he decided to meet with the Chimeriad again—or what’s left of them. The others accepted them reluctantly, and Presa was giving him the look that made him uncomfortable. She’s judging him—definitely itching to ask about Jude and their bond—but in the end, opted to remain silent.

They went to Nia Khera Hallowmont as per Gaius’s orders, to look more about the real Maxwell and how to reach him. It wasn’t really a surprise when he encountered Jude and the others later on the top—Alvin knew he would stand up strong once again. His heart trembled; between Jude and wanting to protect him ( _ no, he doesn’t need  _ **_your_ ** _ protection _ , his mind whispered) or turn away and kept running.

He chose the former.

Later, after the hallow went quiet with Presa and Agria gone—buried down beneath the rocks—Jude had approached him, the others turning their back to give them some privacy. His hands hovered above Alvin’s wounds and with a small incantation surges of mana flowed into him, mending his injuries. He looked at Jude with pleading eyes.

“...am I forgiven?”

“That depends on where you’ll stand after this,” Jude replied bitterly. “I can’t do this anymore, Alvin. Every time you lied to us, you hurt me. It’s...” he removed his hands and huffed. “It’s not easy. But know that I’ll always forgive you. You’re my Alpha, after all.”

Alvin pulled him into a hug, startling the younger. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I won’t, I promise. You’re the only home I have now—please don’t leave me.”

Slowly, Jude’s hand wrapped around him and stroked the back of his head. “It’s okay, Alvin,” he shushed him. “It’s okay. You’re okay.  _ We’re _ okay.”

Alvin held onto those words.

  
  


Milla was back with them. And somehow, here they were, in Trigleph, thrown to the portal Maxwell made for them to escape.

Alvin basked in the surroundings. He only remembered faintly, but... this was Elympios. This was  _ home _ . And yet, he didn’t feel like he was.

He met with his cousin, Balan. The boy slightly taller than himself in the past, now dedicating his life to be a spyrix researcher to help Elympios passing their crisis of mana. Everything had changed since they got trapped inside Rieze Maxia. But Milla and Jude vowed to change the situation. They wanted to dispel the schism and reunite both Rieze Maxia and Elympios. It was probably a naïve resolve; but they were Milla and Jude. They could make it happen.

  
  


The sky was blue when they’re back from the void dimension back to Rieze Maxia.

Milla was gone again. But she wasn’t dead—she took the role of the real Maxwell, to keep the balance between humans and spirits as she watched over them. Jude was quiet on their way back, but his eyes weren’t dead like the first time Milla left. On the contrary, they seemed to burn with determination.

They parted with Rowen and Elize in Sharilton. Elize had decided that she wanted to stay with Driselle, and the girl also agreed to take care of her. Meanwhile, Jude, and Leia continued their journey back home to Leronde, Alvin escorting them both.

“What are you going to do when you get home?” Alvin overheard Leia speaking to Jude, when she thought he wasn’t around. “You know... The bond?”

“Don’t worry about it, Leia,” Jude said. “I’ll handle it with my parents and Alvin. Just worry about yourself and your parents, alright?”

Somehow that didn’t exactly make Alvin convinced.

They dropped off Leia at her parents’ inn first. She immediately got a flurry of lectures and tearful hugs from her parents, and Jude gave them a short greeting before going away. He walked side-by-side with Alvin towards the clinic, and with each step, Alvin grew more and more nervous.

“Then... Since you now obviously can have your away around yourself...” Alvin hesitated. “I should probably leave. The ship to Fennmont will leave in an hour... Y’know? Can’t be late and all.”

“Why the hurry? You don’t want to meet my parents first?” Jude said, and—was that a  _ smile _ on his face? “You’ve got to learn to take some responsibility, Alvin.”

Alvin tensed. “Are you going to—?!”

No way. He’s only 26. It’s not his time to die yet, moreover to die on the hands of enraged parents because he accidentally bonded with their underaged kid Omega. Holy shit.

Jude linked their hands together and tugged him towards the clinic when he was about to flee. “My mother is nice,” he said. “She’ll understand.”

No,  _ Jude _ didn’t understand. It wasn’t his mother that he’s afraid of. It’s  _ Derrick _ . That man loved his family so much he’s willing to run away from Exodus just to keep his wife and son safe. Who knew what he would do to Alvin if he discovered that Jude’s been bonded with—him? A liar, a  _ traitor _ ?

The clinic had a few patients to see, but it wasn’t very busy when they arrived. Ellen had greeted them on the doorstep and gave Jude a warm hug and a ‘welcome home’, before she slowly released Jude and scrunched her brows.

“Jude,” she slowly started. “You...”

“...meet my Alpha, mother,” he gestured towards Alvin. “I’m... sorry I just told you.”

She gasped silently, narrowing her eyes. “Jude,” she hissed. “You’re only fifteen! You...”

“It’s okay,” Jude said. “I trust him. He isn’t taking advantage of me, I swear. We... er, I let him on my heat—”

“ _ What _ ?” Ellen whispered in horror. She pulled off Jude’s collar to see Alvin’s bite mark, and slowly she trailed her eyes on Alvin. “You  _ bit _ him?”

Alvin swallowed. He wanted the ground to open up and swallow him whole. Or the roof to suddenly collapse on him and possibly killing him in the process. “Ah... Yes. It’s me. I mean, I bit him, yes.”

Ellen pursued her lips. “Come in, then, to the dining room,” she said, then turning back to enter Derrick’s office, while Jude toed off his boots and picked up his usual house sandals and picked one of the patients sandals for Alvin.

When the Alpha backed away a step, Jude lifted his head in confusion. “What are you doing?”

“I... uh... I should go...”

But Jude caught his hand and held it tight, preventing him from fleeing. “Take some responsibility,  _ Alvin _ ,” he smiled. Alvin shivered at that.

Reluctantly he followed Jude to their dining room. It was really small and looked almost unused, probably because his parents were always busy. Jude did say that he used to cook for himself. He sat down on the chair, while the Omega made some tea.

Derrick and Ellen showed up just as the water boiled. “Jude!” Derrick called, but he stopped when he saw Alvin sitting nearby. “What are you doing here?”

“He’s Jude’s Alpha I told you about,” Ellen informed him.

Derrick looked like just an inch from exploding. “ _ What _ ?” he hissed. “Alfred, you—”

“Father!” Jude interrupted him. “Exodus is no more. Gilandor Yul Svent was dead. The schism is also gone—we can go to Elympios now.”

The man looked pale. “Jude, you...” He scrunched his eyebrows. “Where did you go these past months...?”

“We’ll talk about it,” Jude said, putting the glasses to the table. “Alvin and I.”

So they did. They began from the beginning. About Milla, about the Lance. How they defeated Exodus, how they were thrown to Elympios, then battled and convinced the King of Auj Oule. How the schism was destroyed.

They were all silent when the story finished. “Then it would mean your journey is over now,” Derrick said. “So you shouldn’t have any excuse to not stay here and inherit the—”

“I won’t stay here, father,” Jude interrupted him. “I’m going to go back to Fennmont and live with Alvin as I continue my research—on spyrites.”

Alvin choked on his tea.

“Jude!”

“Alvin is my Alpha now,” he said. “I’m... sure he won’t stay at Leronde. As his Omega now, shouldn’t I follow him?”

“Jude, you’re fifteen. You’re too young to be bonded. Bonds can be broken after a while, so just—”

“ _ No _ . I won’t break it off. I promised him,” Jude bit his lower lip. “I’ll go.”

Ellen stared at him, and then at Alvin, then back to Jude again. “...Jude. Do you love this young man?”

“I... yes,” Jude answered.

“Does this young man love you as well?”

Jude didn’t answer, but he didn’t need to. “I do,” Alvin put down his mug and braced himself for Derrick’s murderous glare and Ellen’s judging stare. “I... I love him. He’s my—my home now. P-Please let me have him.”

God did he sound so lame.

Ellen sighed. “You better propose to him properly and bring him here as soon as he turns eighteen,” she said.

Alvin blinked.

“ _ Ellen _ ,” Derrick hissed. “You’re going to give up as easy as that?”

“They’re already bonded, Derrick. There’s nothing much we can do, especially if they do love each other. And they did come back unscathed, so I’d say the Alpha did a good job taking care of Jude.” She glanced at Alvin. “Right?”

“R-Right.” Although the reverse was what actually happened, but he didn’t want to have any seed of doubts on Jude’s parents.

Derrick just stared blankly at them before standing up and left the dining room abruptly. Ellen just sighed at that. “Your father loves you, you know that? He’s just worried about you.”

“I know,” Jude nodded. “But I... won’t change my mind. And I’m not a kid anymore; I can decide for myself.”

Ellen nodded. “Yes, yes. You and him are stubbornly similar, I’m so used to it,” she smiled. “Will you be staying here tonight?”

Jude shook his head. “We’ll depart now. The ship to Fennmont will leave in fifteen minutes.” He stood up and gave his mother a hug. “Tell father goodbye for me.”

She gave him a small nod, before turning to Alvin. “You... Alvin, isn’t it?” She narrowed her eyes at him. “Take care of Jude for us, will you?”

“Y-Yes, ma’am,” Alvin said stiffly.

They departed quickly to catch the ship, almost missing it as the last tickets to Fennmont were sold. As they boarded on the deck, Alvin let out a long, relieved sigh.

“That was so nerve-wrecking,” he moaned.

“We travelled along Rieze Maxia, fought numerous monsters, a powerful spirit,  _ and _ Kings, and you thought meeting my parents is nerve-wrecking?” Jude chuckled.

“I’m never the type that gets close with parents after all,” he said quietly.

Jude then pulled his scarf downwards to kiss him quickly. “No more depressing thoughts,” he said.

Alvin blinked in surprise, before his lips curled into a wolfish grin. “So now the honour’s student has the gall to kiss me on public?”

“It’s just a kiss!” Jude frowned, cheeks pinking and he turned away from Alvin. The older man just laughed and slung a hand on Jude’s shoulder, but unlike his attempt before, Jude was now leaning at him, pressing their sides together. “So... did you mean it?”

“Hm?”

“...when you said you love me. Do you mean it?”

Alvin paused. “...yeah,” his hold tightened. “I love you.”

Jude didn’t say anything else after, but he looped a hand around Alvin’s waist, and then Alvin had that hand covered with his free one. They stayed like that until the ship arrived at Fennmont.

It made Alvin’s heart flutter somewhat. To think about how a somewhat accidental bonding could change his life drastically—to a better one.

Years later, as he stared down at the naked Jude sleeping beside him as he combed those dark locks with his fingers, he’d remember those memories. How Jude had made his world no more filled those cold, empty feelings he always felt for twenty years—and instead, giving him a home he always longed for.

A place where he truly belonged.

**Author's Note:**

> come talk to me at [twitter](https://twitter.com/cup_of_comfort)!  
>    
> 


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